I tried to stay away from this thread, but I just couldn't.
FWIW, I can't see pro wrestling being a sport. Pro wrestlers do compete for money, standing in the company, fame, etc., but in the traditional sense of athletic competition I don't view it as a sport. I can anything that requires athletic ability as competition being a sport, and that includes horseshoes, golf, ping pong and darts. Remember that coordination is part of athletic ability.
It also really depresses me when people use the term "sports-entertainer". You know who calls themselves entertainers? Strippers and pron stars; i.e., people who are embarassed by what they do and who want to ratoinalize it because it is popular. Pro wrestling is a profession in and of itself. To call them athletes or actors or sports-entertainers cheapens what they do. It is a very specific profession that takes as many or more years of training than any sport or entertainment profession.
For marine and Mr. PD, I appreciate that you guys love pro graps, but I wish you would not point to the Hell in the Cell match as the ideal of professional wrestling. The art of pro wrestling is presenting an athletic performance or a compelling storyline while *pretending* to severely injure your opponent. Quite frankly, Mick Foley is one of the most irresponsible wrestlers in the history of the business by glorifying his ability to injure himself rather than his ability to work great matches and storylines. His success and his promotion of his injuries has led to more injuries and bad publicity for the sport than anyone could ever imagine. Every day another idiot goes out to his backyard and tries a stunt he saw Foley or one of Foley's followers try on TV. Every day another idiot tries a dive off the top rope in his first day in wrestling school. The result is a desensitized audience that cares little for the lifelong pain people who weren't lucky enough to make their money and get out like Foley have to endure after their careers are done and a business filled with incompetent young wrestlers who never learned the basics of the business.
When referring people to what great professional wrestling is, have them check out a great *wrestling* match where two guys put on a realistic performance without one of them ending up in a hospital and on the shelf for two weeks (like Foley after Hell in the Cell).
FWIW, I can't see pro wrestling being a sport. Pro wrestlers do compete for money, standing in the company, fame, etc., but in the traditional sense of athletic competition I don't view it as a sport. I can anything that requires athletic ability as competition being a sport, and that includes horseshoes, golf, ping pong and darts. Remember that coordination is part of athletic ability.
It also really depresses me when people use the term "sports-entertainer". You know who calls themselves entertainers? Strippers and pron stars; i.e., people who are embarassed by what they do and who want to ratoinalize it because it is popular. Pro wrestling is a profession in and of itself. To call them athletes or actors or sports-entertainers cheapens what they do. It is a very specific profession that takes as many or more years of training than any sport or entertainment profession.
For marine and Mr. PD, I appreciate that you guys love pro graps, but I wish you would not point to the Hell in the Cell match as the ideal of professional wrestling. The art of pro wrestling is presenting an athletic performance or a compelling storyline while *pretending* to severely injure your opponent. Quite frankly, Mick Foley is one of the most irresponsible wrestlers in the history of the business by glorifying his ability to injure himself rather than his ability to work great matches and storylines. His success and his promotion of his injuries has led to more injuries and bad publicity for the sport than anyone could ever imagine. Every day another idiot goes out to his backyard and tries a stunt he saw Foley or one of Foley's followers try on TV. Every day another idiot tries a dive off the top rope in his first day in wrestling school. The result is a desensitized audience that cares little for the lifelong pain people who weren't lucky enough to make their money and get out like Foley have to endure after their careers are done and a business filled with incompetent young wrestlers who never learned the basics of the business.
When referring people to what great professional wrestling is, have them check out a great *wrestling* match where two guys put on a realistic performance without one of them ending up in a hospital and on the shelf for two weeks (like Foley after Hell in the Cell).
